Festive Foliage: Garden Christmas Decor – Growing Family

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The festive season is approaching rapidly, and for many people, the arrival of November marks the start of their Christmas decorating. While many of us have our go-to displays for our homes, outdoor spaces tend to be overlooked thanks to the looming threat of bad weather and freezing temperatures. 

But decorating your outdoor space for the holiday season will give your home a warm, welcoming appearance, ensuring you’re not short of festive spirit throughout the season. From twinkling Christmas lights and classic colour palettes to fun yard collections and showstopping outdoor Christmas trees, your home can be the talk of the neighbourhood this holiday season.

An outdoor tree

If you’re hosting your fair share of holiday parties and are after a statement decor idea that will wow your guests, consider creating a winter wonderland with a big, bright outdoor Christmas tree. You can choose to light an existing tree in your front or back garden, or set up an outdoor tree on a porch, deck, or in a gazebo for added protection from the winter weather. 

Depending on the type of weather you typically experience during the winter months, it’s essential to carefully select what you put on your tree. Cordless lights offer the best versatility, while plastic tree ornaments stand up best to water and snow. However, they are lightweight and can easily blow away in strong winds if not adequately secured to the tree. 

Bold bows

If you like the idea of a simple decoration that delivers maximum impact, consider adorning your front entry with bright, bold, oversized red bows for the perfect dose of festive flair. Tie them on outdoor wall sconces, around window wreaths, on outdoor pillars, and on Christmas lanterns lining front paths or steps leading to your front door. 

You can enhance the pop of colour by adding red poinsettias to front porch planters, decorative cranberries to wreaths, and strings of soft, warm lights around trees and along front-facing walls. There’s no better time to embrace maximalism than the festive season, and a classic holiday colour palette will make you feel as if you are living in your own Christmas movie.  

Holiday lighting

There are lots of ways to approach festive lighting, based on your available space, resources, and personal preferences. One lighting idea is to place bright, bold path and yard lights to illuminate your driveway and the footpath up to the front door. Multicolour lights will add colour and fun to your garden, while classic white lights give a simple, chic finish. 

Corded varieties can be strung together for longer stretches, while battery-operated or solar-powered lights make for easy installations away from power sources. Cordless options can also be quickly packed away and reinstalled during periods of severe weather.

Mini porch Christmas trees

If you love Christmas trees, but would prefer to keep the extra mess out of your home, liven up your entryway with a selection of porch Christmas trees. Depending on available space, select 2-3 trees ranging from 3 feet to 6 feet, placed at the top of the porch stairs, next to the front door, or alongside the front window. 

While twinkling string lights are a non-negotiable, you can add in a selection of decorations with a rustic, natural look. Regardless of what you choose, you can enhance the overall appearance with frosted finishes and decorative additions like cranberries and pinecones. 

Window wreaths

Giant window wreaths are beautiful decor pieces that can be enjoyed from both inside and out in the garden. Simply hang a giant, lighted wreath on the outside of your home.

It’s a good idea to use the same lights on your main indoor tree if it’s visible through the window. This will create a sense of cohesion and a dramatic illumination of twinkling lights. If your windows are large enough, take it a step further by adding a small wreath adorned with cordless string lights. 

Outdoor Christmas collections

We all know at least one house on the street that always has the best outdoor Christmas decorations. This is often thanks to a wide variety of fun outdoor decorations that span themes, materials, and lighting features. 

Good quality outdoor Christmas collections are made from lightweight, durable materials that hold up well to the elements season after season. LED lights stay cool to the touch, while three-dimensional figures are easy to assemble and disassemble as needed. For extra wow factor, include pop-up models that expand when displayed but fold up into a neat, compact form for easy storage.

The beauty of yard collections is that you can mix and match different themes and pieces to build the display of your dreams.

Decorated window boxes & planters

If you’re lucky enough to have window boxes, flex your creative side by decorating them with bright festive berries, beautiful green garlands, and rustic pinecones. A simple electric candle on the interior windowsill will provide the perfect amount of light after dark. 

Alternatively, you can layer faux greens, bright flowers, and seasonal fruit into existing planters to give them a simple but beautiful DIY Christmas makeover. Opt for foliage to match your front door wreath, or stick to traditional options to embrace the classic Christmas aesthetic.

Have you embraced any of these ideas for garden Christmas decor in your home?